Pretty much all cars have one, and it gets used pretty much every time we drive, but when was the last time you gave any proper thought to your car’s handbrake? Never, probably, unless it’s gone wrong.
A car’s handbrake - or to give it its proper title, the parking brake - is a brake that’s operated by hand (usually) to make sure your car stays stationary when it's parked and doesn't roll forwards or backwards. It’s also sometimes referred to as the emergency brake or e-brake. In this guide, we’ll look at the various types, consider how a handbrake works and provide some useful tips on how to use them properly.
What is a Handbrake and What Does it Do?
- What is a manual handbrake and how does it work?
- What is an electronic handbrake?
- How to use a handbrake in a manual car
- How to use a handbrake in an automatic car
- How to use a handbrake in an electric car
- What are some common mistakes to avoid when using a handbrake?
- Other uses for a handbrake
- How to adjust a handbrake
- How much does it cost to repair a handbrake?
- What new cars are available with a manual handbrake?
What is a manual handbrake and how does it work?
A conventional manual handbrake is controlled by a lever, usually found between the driver’s seat and front passenger seat, although on some models, it can sometimes be found elsewhere, like between the driver’s seat and driver’s door. Applying the handbrake locks the car’s rear brakes on to prevent the car from moving, and it operates independently of the car’s main hydraulic brake system.
With a conventional handbrake lever, you engage the brake by taking the hand grip in the palm of your hand, pressing the button on the end of the lever with your thumb, and pulling the lever upwards. This applies tension to a cable, which applies the car’s rear brakes. You pull the lever up until it either runs out of travel, or you feel enough tension through the mechanism to give you confidence that it’ll hold the car in place. You then release the button with your thumb, and this engages a pawl on a ratchet plate, which locks the lever - and as a result, the brakes - in place.
To release the brake, you lift the parking brake lever slightly to help disengage the pawl tooth from the ratchet, and press the button to unlock the lever, before lowering the lever to its lowest position.
On some cars, the parking brake is foot-operated instead. As well as the main driving pedal, there will be an extra pedal in the driver’s footwell - usually quite a long way over to the side to avoid confusion - and you apply the brake by pushing this pedal down to the bottom of its travel, whereupon it’s locked in place by the same pawl-and-ratchet mechanism as explained before. To release it, you either press the pedal down slightly further, which releases the pawl tooth and unlocks the pedal, allowing it to raise fully, or you might have to push a handbrake button or pull a catch to release the mechanism. Your car’s handbook will let you know which it is, and where to find it.
While once ubiquitous, the manual handbrake now features in less than 10 per cent of new cars on sale. Its place instead has been taken by the electronic handbrake. To find out more, read the CarGurus manual handbrake report.
What is an electronic handbrake?
Electronic handbrakes used to be the preserve of luxury cars, but they’re now becoming more and more commonplace on cars of all shapes, sizes and types, from BMW to Ford to Subaru.
Like with a manual handbrake, it locks the rear brakes on to prevent the car from moving. However, instead of doing this by applying tension to a cable, the brakes are applied by electric motors. You can often hear those motors whirring as they go about their work.
Most cars with an electronic handbrake will have a switch or button of some type with which you can engage or disengage the parking brake manually.
On top of that - or instead of - many cars have the ability to engage and disengage the brake automatically. For example, in cars with an automatic gearbox, the brake is applied as soon as you shift the gear selector into ‘Park’, and disengaged as soon as you shift into ‘Drive’ or ‘Neutral’. On cars with a manual gearbox, meanwhile, the brake may automatically be applied when you turn the car’s ignition off, and then once you’ve started up again, it may be disengaged when you move the clutch past its biting point when pulling away.
Some cars also use their electronic handbrake as an additional safety feature. In those, the car won’t let you disengage the parking brake - either automatically, or using the manual override - until the driver has their seatbelt fastened.
How to use a handbrake in a manual car
Once you’ve brought your car to a halt using the car’s main brakes, keep those engaged while engaging the parking brake. Once that’s done, you can take the car out of gear, and release both the foot brake and the clutch. When setting off, depress the clutch and select first gear on the manual transmission, and put your foot on the brake pedal before releasing the parking brake.
How to use a handbrake in an automatic car
Assuming your parking brake doesn't engage/disengage automatically, bring your car to a halt using the main foot brake, and keep the brake pedal depressed while you move the gear selector for the automatic transmission to ‘Park’, and then apply the handbrake before releasing the brake pedal. When setting off, press the main brake pedal and select ‘Drive’ on the gear selector before disengaging that parking brake.
How to use a handbrake in an electric car
The process of using a handbrake in an electric car should be exactly the same as in an automatic car.
What are some common mistakes to avoid when using a handbrake?
Some drivers don’t press the button on the end of the handbrake when pulling up the level, which causes the mechanism to make that brief but recognisable clicking sound. The brake will engage as normal, but if this is done regularly, the ratchet teeth can wear, and eventually, the handbrake - and the rear brakes - can fail. For that reason, it’s good practice to press the button when raising the brake lever, as well as when lowering it.
When releasing the handbrake, always make sure to release it fully. If you let go of the button before the lever reaches the very bottom of its travel, the parking brake may stay partially applied as you drive, without you noticing. This can generate lots of excess heat and a nasty smell, and will lead to unnecessary wear of your rear brakes - brake pads and rotors if they’re disc brakes, or brake shoes and drums if they’re old-style drum brakes.
Other uses for a handbrake
As we’ve said, the main purpose of a handbrake is for keeping your car stationary when it's parked, but that’s not the only purpose. According to the Highway Code, drivers should also be applying the handbrake any time the vehicle is stationary for any period of time, such as when stopped at traffic lights or waiting to pull out of a junction. This gives the driver ultimate control of the car’s movement.
You’ll also need your handbrake to perform a smooth and effective hill-start (assuming your car doesn’t have hill-hold assist, that is). With your car’s nose pointing uphill, you’ll need to apply the handbrake, and only release it once you’ve applied enough engine revs using the throttle pedal, and found the biting point of the clutch pedal.
You’ll have probably also heard of a handbrake turn, and this is when the handbrake is used to lock the rear wheels when turning quickly, causing the back end of the car to skid. This should not be done in everyday driving, however, so we wouldn’t dream of telling you how to execute one correctly. And if your car has an electronic parking brake, you won’t be able to execute one no matter how hard you try, because the brake won’t apply while the car is in motion.
How to adjust a handbrake
You can check the adjustment of your handbrake by pulling the lever up from the bottom of its travel to the top, without pressing the button. It should click several times throughout that travel, and anything between five and nine clicks can be considered normal. Too few clicks and/or an abnormally short lever travel could mean your handbrake cable is too tight, or (more likely due to wear and tear) too many clicks and a longer-than-average lever travel could mean your cable is too loose and needs tightening.
This is done by simply turning a nut that’s usually found either at the base of the lever assembly, or somewhere underneath the centre console in which the handbrake lever is housed. Once you’ve located the nut, be sure to chock the front wheels to prevent the car from moving, jack up the rear wheels and secure the car on axle stands, and then release the handbrake fully. To adjust it, simply turn the nut clockwise to tighten the cable, or anti-clockwise to loosen it off. Once you think you have the adjustment right, check it by spinning the jacked-up rear wheels by hand. They should spin freely with the handbrake off, but not spin at all when the handbrake lever is pulled halfway through its travel.
How much does it cost to repair a handbrake?
Handbrake repair costs much depend on what’s gone wrong, and what sort of rear brakes your car has. It might be that your cable is stretched rather than just loose, and in that case, it will need to be replaced rather than tightened. This is a relatively simple job and shouldn’t cost too much. However, if you need to replace the more fundamental parts of your rear brakes - things like discs, pads, calipers or any of the hydraulic brake parts - then you’ll be looking at a much bigger bill. Any decent automotive technician should be able to tell you what’s needed with just a quick inspection.
What new cars are available with a manual handbrake?
If you're searching for a new car with a more traditional manual handbrake it can be hard to know where to find one. Here, then, are all the cars available to buy new with a manual handbrake. Note that this list is subject to change and should be independently verified.
Abarth: 595, 695
Audi: A1 Sportback
Citroën: C3, C3 Aircross, Ami
Dacia: Duster, Sandero
Fiat: 500, 500C, Fiat Tipo Cross, Panda, Panda Cross
Ford: Puma, New Puma ST, Mustang, Tourneo Custom
Hyundai: i10, i20, i20N, i30N, Bayon, i20N line
Jeep: Wrangler
Kia: Picanto, Stonic
Mazda: Mazda 2, Mazda MX-5, MX5-RF
MG: MG3
MINI: MINI Convertible
Renault: Traffic Passenger
Seat: Ibiza, Arona
Škoda: Fabia, Scala, Kamiq
SsangYong: Tivoli, Musso
Suzuki: Ignis, Swift, Swift Sport, S-Cross, Vitara
Toyota: Aygo, Toyota GR Yaris, Hilux, GR86
Vauxhall: Crossland
Volkswagen: Up, Polo, Polo GTI, T-Cross, Taigo